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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

U,^. BUREAU OF EDUCATION 



BULLETIN. 1921, No. 38 



STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK 
IN EDUCATION 



LEONARD V. KOOS 

Professoi of Secondary Elducation. Univeisity of Minnesota 




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1922 






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CONTENTS. 



Paee. 

Letter of transmittal v 

Scope and method of the study 1 

I. .Admission and prerequisites 2 

II. Residence requirements 6 

III. Credit requirements 8 

IV. Distribution of the work 9 

V. The administration of courses in education 12 

VI. The thesis 15 

VII. The foreign-language requirement 15 

VIII. Examinations 16 

IX. The sUfe 17 

ni 



LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



Depaktment of the Interior, 

Bureau of Education', 
Washington^ Janmary 19^ 1922. 
Sir : The standards and educational practices of all higher institu- 
tions are scrutinized now as never before in our history. For the most 
part these examinations relate chiefly to undergraduate and profes- 
sional schools and colleges. It is, however, important that the gradu- 
ate divisions in our great universities should lead the way with 
superior requirements and standards for graduate work. In this 
field the committee on standards of the Society of College Teachers 
of Education has, under the direction of Prof. Leonard V. Koos, of 
the University of Minnesota, done some pioneer work by conducting 
an investigation of the graduate standards and practices in college 
departments of education. The study reveals valuable information 
which should be brought to the attention of the higher institutions 
in this country. I wish, therefore, cordially to recommend the publi- 
cation of the manuscript as a bulletin of the Bureau of Education. 
Respectfully submitted. 

Jno. J. Tigert, 

Commissioner. 
The Seciuetart of the Interior. 

V 



STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN 

EDUCATION. 



SCOPE AND METHOD OF THE STUDY. 

There is reported here a digest of responses to a rather extended inquiry 
concerning standards in graduate woik in education. The lines of investigation 
were drawn largely from two chief sources, (1) the report of a committee of 
the American Association of University Professors, and (2) responses of heads 
of schools and colleges of education to a letter asking for a statement of what 
seem to them to be the more press^ing problems in the standardization of gradu- 
ate work in the field of education. The former appeared in the January- 
February (1919) number of the bulletin of the association. It was concerned 
solely with the doctorate in philosophy, not with the master's degree, and gave 
consideration to problems of standardization of this degree for the entire range 
of university work to which it should apply, not merely to the field of educa- 
tion, as does the present study. Through analogy this report supplied important 
lines of investigation for the study here undertaken. From the responses of 
the deans and directors of schools and colleges of education were drawn the 
problems more peculiar to the field under consideration. No item of practice 
was investigated which was without recognition in the report referred to or in 
the responses of the deans and directors of whom preliminary inquiry had been 
made. 

The questionnaire framed on the basis of these sources was sent to the heads 
of departments or schools of education in approximately 90 higher institutions 
in many parts of the country. This number Included all the State universities 
and other State institutions which might be presumed to be giving graduate 
training in education, to all the larger non-State higher institutions known as 
places where graduate training in education is obtainable, besides a number 
of smaller colleges and universities randomly selected.^ 

In all, 61 of the schools of which inquiry had been made sent answers of 
one sort or another, some of them stating merely that they gave little or no 
graduate training, others by returning the questionnaire properly filled out. 
Most of the responses of the former type came from the randomly selected 
smaller institutions. Up to the time of completion of the work of tabulation, 
usable responses had been submitted by representatives of 42 departments, 
schools, or colleges of education. The blank was in most cases filled out by 
or under the immediate direction of the head, dean, or director, but in a few 
instances by some other person informed as to practices and authorized to 
express the opinions called for. Of these 42 institutions, 17 grant the master's 
degree only, the remaining 25 granting both the master's and the doctor's 
degree. 

*The list from which were drawn the names of the heads of departments and deans to 
whom questionnaires were sent is that appearing on pages 95—109 of the 1918—19 Educa- 
tional Directory of the U. S. Bureau of Education, appearing as Bu. o£ Educ. Bui., 1918, 
No. 86. 



2 STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 

The names of the institutions represented in the study are as follows: Uni- 
versity of Arizona, University of Arkansas, University of California, University 
of Chicago, Clark University, Columbia University (Teachers College), Cornell 
University, University of Florida, George Peabody College for Teachers, George 
Washington University, University of Georgia, Harvard University, University 
of Illinois, lovra State College, State University of Iowa, Johns Hopkins Uni- 
versity, University of Kansas, Louisiana State University, University of Maine, 
University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Mississippi, Uni- 
versity of Missouri, University of North Carolina, University of North Dakota, 
Northwestern University, Ohio Wesley an University, University of Oregon, 
Pennsylvania State College, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pitts- 
burgh, University of South Dakota, Stanford University, Syracuse University, 
University of Tennessee, University of Texas, University of Utah, University of 
Vermont, University of Washington, West Virginia University, University of 
Wisconsin, and Yale University. 

Examination of the list will show that there is a very satisfactory representa- 
tion of State institutions and of the larger nonpublic universities. In fact, 
very few institutions important in graduate training in education are absent 
from the list. But the representation of departments of education in smaller 
private institutions is rather meager. Their absence must be largely explained 
by the fact that they undertake little in the way of graduate training. This 
explanation has the support of a number of answers to this effect from the 
heads of their departments of education. It is also supported by the fact 
that most of them failed to respond even to a second request. These facts 
justify assurance that the study here presented is to be regarded as a fairly 
complete survey by questionnaire of the practices in and opinions as to graduate 
training In education in the United States during the school year covered by 
the study, 1919-20. 

For the most part the answers of those who returned the questionnaires were 
sufficiently full and satisfactory. This was especially true of the reports on 
practice. There was some tendency to fail to respond to the requests for 
opinions as to appropriate practices, except when the individual who filled out 
the questionnaire was moved to take exception to current practices. As the 
discovery of this disagreement with practice was after all the thing sought for 
in the request for opinion, this partial failure to respond to the requests for 
opinion affects only to a small extent, if at all, the achievement of the purpose 
of the investigation. Because of this purpose in seeking opinions, no frequent 
reference is make to them in the report unless they tend to deviate from the 
trend of practice. 

It is not presumed to be the function of this report to do more than to present 
the facts of practice and opinion. The writer, therefore, restricts himself to 
their bare and brief recital.' 

I. ADMISSION AND PREREQUISITES. 

SECONDARY- SCHOOL PREPARATION. 

Investigation of high-school preparation. — Eighteen institutions state without 
qualification that they investigate the high-school preparation of graduate 
students. Twelve others answer to the effect that it is sometimes investigated. 
Illustrations of statements coming under this head are : " Yes ; unless accredited 

2 The committee on standards of the Society of College Teachers of Education, for whom 
the study here reported has been made, will undertake the task of recommendation of 
appropriate practices on the basis of the findings presented. 



STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 3 

high school " ; " Yes ; if college is not accredited." Only 12 of the entire group 
of 42 institutions answer " No " to the question concerning the investigation of 
high-school preparation. 

Aniount of high-school preparation required. — Few of the institutions will 
accept anything less than four years of high-school work. Few of them accept 
less than 15 units. The exceptions are the small number that will accept 14 
or 14^ units, or insist upon loj or 16. Four institutions in one way or another 
make it clear that they do not insist upon the full four years for the completion 
Qf the necessary units, seeming thereby to encourage economy of time for the 
more capable pupils. 

COIXEGE PREPARATION. 

The bachelor's degree as a prerequisite to admission. — Almost all institutions 
insist upon the bachelor's degree based upon four years of work as a prerequi- 
site to admission to graduate work. Three of the entire group of 42 institutions 
are ready to accept a bachelor's degree secured in less than the traditional 
four years, thereby seeming to encourage economy of time for more capable 
students. 

Specific requirements other than, education. — The next point of inquiry was 
the extent to which the institutions prescribed specific subjects of study which 
the student should offer in order to be admitted t^ graduate work. Of the 
entire group of 42 institutions, 17 make no specific prescriptions ; 20 name pre- 
requisites. The numbers of these subject prescriptions and their names appear 
in Tables 1 and 2. The former of these tables shows that the number of pre- 
scriptions varies widely. The total amount of credit in these prescriptions is 
not presented in the tables, but it may be said that it also varies widely. In 
14 instances of amounts of credit where these could be computed from the 
answers, they ranged from 3 to 72 semester hours.' There are 14 different 
practices in these 14 cases, showing little or no tendency to standardization of 
practice. 

Table 1. — Number of specific piei'equisites other than education. 

Number of Number of 

prerequisites. institutions. 

17 

1 5 

2 3 

3 5 

4 2 

5 1 

6 . 3 

9 1 

Miscellaneous answers 3 

No answer 2 

Total number of institutions 42 

The second of these two tables shows the more common prerequisites in the 
order of their frequency of appearance. A few of the institutions require the 
presentation by the candidate of majors or minors without prescribing in what 
subjects these majors and minors shall be. 

Investigation of the college loork antecedent to graduate training. — There is 
a great variety of practice as to who investigates this work. In fact, there 
are 17 different practices reported by the 42 institutions concerned : 9 institu- 

' Because the semester hour is the unit more commonly used, as far as possible ether 
units of credit have been reduced to semester hours. Where this was not possible, the 
answers were omitted. 

86454°— 22 2 



4 STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 

tions indicate that the dean of the graduate department performs this func- 
tion ; 7 report that it is the work of the graduate committee ; 5 that it is done 
bj'^ the head of the department or school of education. Other practices re- 
ported with less frequency are university registrar or examiner, the committee 
on admissions, the committee on relations with other institutions, etc. 

Table 2. — Names of specific prerequisites other than education, and their fre- 
quency of appearance. 



Prerequisites. 



Psychology 

A laboratory science 

Social studies 

English 

Foreign languages 

Philosophy 

Hygiene and sanitation 

Mathematics or logic 

Public speaking 

Physical education or military training . 



Number 
of insti- 
tutions. 



13 
11 
10 
8 
7 
5 
2 
2 
1 
1 



Practice in this regard may be summed up in another way. A committee has 
a functional relationship to this investigation in 19 institutions ; the dean or 
head of the graduate school or department in 13 instances; the department of 
education in 12 instances ; and the registrar in 6. There are sometimes two or 
three of these relationships in one institution. 

Of the 42 institutions, 30 report that they use lists of approved higher insti- 
tutions in evaluating the student's work antecedent to his graduate training. 
Nine use no such lists. 

The more common lists used in this evaluation of college work are the United 
States Bureau of Education list, lists prepared by the State universities, and 
the North Central Association list. A number of other lists are named in a few 
instances, e. g., the Association of American Universities, the Carnegie Founda- 
tion, Babcock's, Southern Association, etc. A number of institutions speak of 
" our own list " or " experience." 

Procedure when an institution is not on an appi'oved Ust. — Some of the wide 
variation of practice reported in this connection may be cited for illustration : 
Referring the question of acceptance to the State university in the State in which 
the college is located for its evaluation of the institution concerned (7) ; per- 
mitting the student to register, subject to the requirement that he show ability 
(6) ; considering carefully the individual (3) ; inspection by a member of the 
faculty if within the State (3) ; "our experience" (3). A few of those who 
responded to the question made comment somewhat as follows : " We should 
have a national list (of approved higher institutions) made by some recognized 
authority." These comments and the wide variety of practices in the matter 
of approving graduate students when coming from institutions on no approved 
list show a need of standardization of higher institutions over wider than 
State areas. 

PREREQUISITES IN EDUCATION. 

Special requirements in education. — Twenty institutions prescribe no specific 
courses in education preliminary to admission to graduate courses in educa- 
tion. Five make no answer to the question concerning these prerequisites. 
Seventeen report one or more. The more common subjects reported are shown 
In Table 3. Table 4 shows the number of courses designated as prerequisites. 



STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 
Table 3. — Specific prerequisites in education. 



Subjects. 



Number 
of insti- 
tutions. 



Educational psychology . 

History of education 

Principles of education - . 

General methods 

Observation and practice 

Theory and practice 

Administration 

Secondary education. . . . 



10 
8 
7 
2 
2 
1 
1 
1 



Table 4. — Number of specific prerequisites in education. 

Number of specific Number of 

prerequisites. institutions. 

1 5 

2 5 

3 2 

5 3 

6 1 

"One year of teaching" 1 

No prerequisites or no answers 25 

Total number of institutions 42 

Amounts of credit in specific prescriptions. — When these specified require- 
ments are reduced to semester hours, they vary no less widely than do the 
subjects or numbers of courses. The totals range from 3 to 32, the most common 
practice, reported by six institutions, being 12 hours. 

The opinions favor a larger amount of undergraduate work in education 
than does practice. The range is from 5 to 32 hours, with the more common 
opinion being again 12 hours. Reports from 11 institutions recommend in- 
creases of the amounts required in this field, while the report from no institu- 
tion recommends the reduction of the requirement in operation. 

Experience as a substitute for prerequisites in education. — Of the 33 institu- 
tions which have prerequisites in education specified or unspecified, 19 report 
that they do not accept experience in lieu of prerequisites in education, 15 that 
they do. Of the 42 institutions. 9 have no such prerequisites. Several of the 
institutions in which experience is accepted in lieu of the prerequisites make 
such qualifying statements as follow : " For the introductory course only " ; 
" To a limited degree " ; " For practice teaching only " ; " Sometimes " ; etc. 

Several of those who ansAver the questionnaire state emphatically that " ex- 
perience will not supply ideas." thereby indicating that they very much dis- 
approve of the practice of accepting it in lieu of other prerequisites. 

DISTINCTION BETWEEN ADMISSION TO GRADUATE WORK AND ADMISSION 
TO CANDIDACY FOR ADVANCED DEGREES. 



For the master's degree. — Approximately two-thirds of the persons making 
response to the questionnaire report that a distinction is made between admis- 
sion to graduate work and admission to candidacy for the master's degree; 
while about one-third state that no such distinction is made. A number of 
those who report a practice making no such distinction emphasize the de- 
sirability of doing so. 

The distinctions made. — An approximate fourth of the institutions make the 
period of residence the distinction between admitting to graduate work and 
admitting to candidacy for a degree. The remainder either answer " No " or 



6 STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 

fail to respond to this question. Thus, in most institutions there is no distinc- 
tion in terms of preliminary residence. Quality of tvork is made a basis of dis- 
tinction between admission to graduate worl? and admission to candidacy in 
somewhat less than half the schools. Most of the questionnaires are silent in 
the matter of other bases for distinction between admission to graduate work 
and admission to candidacy for the master's degree ; they have no bases other 
than those already named. 

For the doctor's degree. — Of the 25 institutions granting the doctor's degree, 
20 report that they make some distinction between admission to graduate work 
and admission to candidacy for this degree. Three report that there is no 
such distinction. 

The distinctions made. — Eleven report that there is a period of residence 
preliminary to admission to candidacy. Five report that there is not. Most 
of the institutions are following the practice of insisting upon quality of work 
as a basis for admission to candidacy. A few of those who report volun- 
teer information as to the grade required, as " B " or some other measure of 
scholarship. The most common other basis of distinction between admission to 
graduate work and to candidacy for the doctor's degree is the preliminary 
examination. Among other bases named are the thesis subject and the foreign- 
language requirement. 

THE ABILITY OF STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE THE HIGHER DEGREE. 

The master's degree. — In answer to the question as to whether or not the 
master's degree is differentiated rigidly from the bachelor's degree as not 
attainable by persons of mere average ability who give the necessary time, 10 
say " No," 27 " Yes," while 5 fail to answer or give answers which are not 
usable. Opinion favors such a differentiation more strongly than practice. 

Doctor's degree. — As may be expected, the reports indicate almost a una- 
nimity of insistence upon rigid differentiation of the doctor's degree from the 
bachelor's as not attainable by persons of mere average ability who give the 
necessary time. Twenty-four indicate that they do so differentiate ; the re- 
maining 1 of the 25 institutions granting the doctor's degree reports that it 
does not. Opinion is in no disagreement with these reports of the trend of 
practice. The candidate is and should be, according to both practice and 
opinion, a person of more than average ability. 

II. RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS. 
master's degree. 

Minimum period of residence during the academic year. — ^The almost uniform 
practice is to require a full year of residence if the student attends during 
the regular academic year from September to June. Two schools report a 
minimum period of residence of two years. 

Obtaining the degree by summer residence only. — Thirty-six institutions re- 
port that this degree may be obtained- by summer residence only; five that it 
may not. 

Minimum period of residence during summer sessions. — The facts as to the 
minimum number of weeks of residence required if the student attends only 
during the summer sessions are reported in Table 5. We find in this table a 
marked tendency to accept a shorter period of residence during the summer 
sessions than during the academic year. 



STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 7 

Table 5. — Minimum number of weeks of residence for master's degree when 

candidates attend summer sessions only. 

Number of Number of 

weeks. iBstitutions. 

15 ^__ 1 

18 8 

24 11 

27 1 

30 4 

32 4 

36 . 4 

Degree may not be obtained by summer residence 5 

No answer or answer not usable 4 

Total number of institutions 42 

What is required in lieu of the difference between minima of all-year and 
summer residence. — In 16 institutions from which we have answers as to what 
Is required in lieu of the difference between summer residence and residence dur- 
ing the academic year, 9 report that nothing is required, while 7 report in some 
such terms as follows : " Supervised study or projected work in absentia " ; 
" the equivalent of a semester's work in absentia " ; " the maturity of the can- 
didate and his ability to do intensive work " ; '* undetermined as yet." 

Opinions as to what should be done in lieu of the difference noted are more 
in the direction of (1) insisting upon some sort of requirement; or (2) equaliz- 
ing the periods of residence by requiring longer attendance in summer sessions. 

Correspondence study as meeting the requirements for the master's degree. — 
Of the 42 institutions, 33 report that correspondence work is not accepted in 
lieu of residence requirements. Seven report that it is so accepted. Opinion 
is somewhat more inclined than is practice to accept correspondence study as a 
substitute for residence, but it would insist that the work be " well organized," 
that it be accepted only to a " limited extent," or " in very small amounts." 

Other kinds of work accepted as a substitute for residence. — The majority 
of institutions refuse to accept any other kind of work as a substitute for resi- 
dence. Of the 16 institutions which do accept such work, the following kinds 
are accepted: Field or research work (5 institutions), projected work in ab- 
sentia (4), extension classes (4), etc. 

The effect upon the period of residence when the student does not meet the 
prerequisites in education. — Of those institutions from which answers have 
come concerning the effect upon residence of not having met the prerequisites 
in education, 10 report definitely that it extends the period of residence, and 4 
that it may lengthen it, but that it does not always work in this way. Six of 
the institutions having prerequisites answer that the absence of the pre- 
requisites in the training of the candidate does not result in a longer period 
of residence. If to these are added those already reported as having no pre- 
requisites and also the portion of the 9 not answering the question in which the 
failure to present prerequisites may be presumed to have no effect, we are safe 
in concluding that in a majority of institutions the fact of having had no pre- 
liminary work in education does not tend toward extension of the length of 
residence required for the degree under consideration. 

Opinion is more favorable than is practice to an extension of the period of 
residence if the prerequisites have not been met. 

doctor's degree. 

Minimum period of residence during academic year loithout previous gradu- 
ate traini/ng. — Of the 25 institutions reporting that they grant the doctor's 
degree, 19 report that they hold to a three-year requirement for candidates 



8 STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 

without previous graduate training, and 3 each report one-year and two-year 
requirements. 

Obtaining the degree by summer residence only. — In 19 institutions it is 
impossible for a candidate to receive the doctor's degree by summer residence 
only. In but 4 institutions may this be accomplished ; 1 reports " possibly," 
while in 2 others there seems to be no rule. 

Minimum period of residence during suvimer session. — Of the 4 institu- 
tions from which reports indicate that they accept summer residence as 
satisfying all residence requirements, 1 reports a minimum requirement of 
24 to 30 weeks ; 2 a minimum total of 3 years of residence ; and one 60 weeks. 

The minimum period of residence when the candidate has had graduate 
training in another institution. — The universal requirement here is a one-year 
minimum. 

Correspondence work in lieu of residence requirements. — Practice is em- 
phatically opposed to acceptance of correspondence work as a substitute for 
residence requirements for the doctor's degree, reports from 22 institutions 
stating that it is not accepted. Opinion is to a slight degree more favorably 
inclined toward granting such credit, but it would insist that, if it is accepted, 
it be field research in small amount and under careful supervision. 

Other kinds of toork as substitutes for residence. — Of the 25 institutions 
granting the doctor's degree, 11 report that no other kinds of work are accepted 
as substitutes for residence. Another group of the same number of institutions 
report that research work is sometimes accepted, although some specify tliat 
it must be a type of research work requiring absence. 

Effect upon period of residence of not meeting the prerequisites in educor- 
tion. — Reports from 5 institutions indicate that the period of residence is 
extended by the failure to present the prerequisites in education upon en- 
trance to graduate study. Four institutions report that this does not extend 
the period of residence, three of these stating that there is enough time in the 
three years to make up the prerequisites. When to these are added the 9 
others having no prerequisites, it is apparent that the predominant practice 
in this regard results in no extension of the period of residence. 

III. CREDIT REQUIREMENTS. 

master's degree. 

Table 6 presents the number of semester hours of credit required for the 
master's degree. The amount of credit required may be seen to vary widely 
and seems to be considerably influenced by the value placed upon the thesis, 
one of the almost universal requirements for the master's degree. The table 
also indicates that a few institutions do not specify graduate requirements in 
terms, of formal credits. 

Table 6. — Semester hours of credit required for the master's degree. 

Number of Number of 

semester hours. institutions. 

20 1 

24 5 

26 1 

28 1 

30 8 

32 3 

35 1 



STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 9 

Number of Number of 

semester hours. institutions. 

9 to 12 and thesis 1 

18 and thesis 1 

24 and thesis ^5 

30 and thesis '3 

32 and thesis 1 

Requirement not stated in units of credit 4 

No answer or answer not usable . 7 

Total number of institutions 42 

doctor's degree. 

Not many institutions specify requirements for tlie doctor's degree in terms 
of credit liours. Six in which requirements are so stated report 48 hours (1 
institution), 54 hours (1), 60 hours (2), 64 hours (1), 90 hours (1). One 
institution each reports the following practices : " 24 and the thesis," " 30 and 
the thesis," and " 60 and the thesis." It is the more common practice for the 
institutions granting the doctor's degree to state that the requirements for this 
degree are not stated in units or hours. A few of those who volunteer an 
opinion state that the character and quality of the work and the dissertation 
should be the determining factors, rather than the amount of credit. 

IV. THE DISTRIBUTION OF WORK. 

ORGANIZATION OF THE WORK IN EDUCATION. 

An item of some significan'ce in a study of the requirements for higher de- 
grees in education is the practice in the matter of organization of work in the 
field. Therefore, one point of inquiry was whether or not the work in education 
is organized by departments. Thirteen copies of the questionnaire report that 
education is so organized. Twice this number make a negative answer. 

The departments more commonly named by those who report having an 
organization of the former sort are as follows: Educational psychology (10 
institutions), administration (7), history of education (6), secondary educa- 
tion (5), vocational or industrial education (5), rural education (5), health 
education or educational hygiene (4), elementary education (4), and a scat- 
tering of a wide array of departments, among them philosophy of education, 
educational sociology, normal-school education, religious education, kinder- 
garten education, agricultural education, art education, etc. 

Lines of graduate specialization. — Another point of inquiry that may be seen 
to be somewhat related to the problem of organization is the number and kinds 
of lines of graduate specialization open to students. The facts concerning this 
are presented in Tables 7 and 8. 

master's degree. 

The number of majors and minors required. — Table 9 shows the practices as 
to the number of major and minor subjects required for the master's degree 
in the institutions represented by those who answered the questionnaire. 
There is seen to be a wide variety of practice in this regard. 

* One of these reports " 24 and thesis or its equivalent." 
2 One of these reports " 28 and thesis or its equivalent." 



10 STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 

Table 7. — Lines of graduate specialization within the field of education. 



Line of specialization. 



Number 
of insti- 
tutions. 



Administration 

Educational psychology. 

History of education 

Secondary education 

Elementary education. . . 

Vocational education 

"Education"! 

Supervision 

Tests and measurements 
Experimental education. 

Theory 

Philosophy of education 
Educational sociology . . . 

Rural education 

Religious education 

Principles of education . . 

Methods 

Normal school education 

Higher education 

Primary education 

Kindergarten education. 

Play and recreation 

Practical arts education. 
Others 



19 
17 
16 
12 
7 
6 
5 
5 
5 
4 
4 
2 
2 
2 
2 
2 
2 



1 It is not unlikely that those who gave this answer misunderstood the question. 

TABLE 8. — Numter of different lines of graduate specialization within the field of 

education. 
Number of lines Number of 

of specialization. institutions. 

1 8 

2 4 

3 7 

4 4 

5 5 

6 1 

8 5 

11 1 

No answer 7 

Total number of institutions 42 

Table 9. — 'Number of major and minor subjects required for the master's degree. 



Number of majors and minors. 



Number 
of insti- 
tutions. 



One major only 

One major and one minor 

One major and one or two minors , 

One major and two minors 

One or two majors and two minors 

"Varies " 

Work not arranged by majors and minors 
No answer or answer not usable 

Total number of institutions 



12 
9 
4 
1 
1 
1 
2 

12 



42 



When we come to study the amounts of credit required in these majors and 
minors we find an even greater variety of practice. For 29 institutions mailing 
responses with any degree of definiteness there are 25 different practices. 
There is thus little or no standardization of practice in this regard. As far 
as possible, a comparative study was made of the amounts of credit required 
in the major when no minor is required and when minors are required. No 
marked difference was found, except that a few of the institutions requiring a 
major only require a considerably larger amount of credit in that major. In 



STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 11 

cases where no minor is required, the majors range from 10 to 36 hours, with 
very few above 20. Where minors are required, the majors range from 10 to 
21 hours. The number of institutions whose responses could be used for the 
comparison was too small to give findings of much significance. 

Departments from which majors and minors are accepted. — The following 
are the more common departments in education from which majors are ac- 
cepted : Administration, educational psychology, history of education, secondary 
education, elementary education, and rural education. Other departments are 
reported by one or two institutions each. 

The situation as to departments in which minors are accepted differs in no 
essential respect from what has been reported for majors. 

Specialization icithin the field of education. — Almost three-fourths of those 
who report, i. e., 30 of the total of 42, signify that specialization within the field 
of education, e. g., in educational psychology, administration, etc., is encour- 
aged; 4 report that it is not, while 3 say that it is "permitted" or "not dis- 
couraged." 

There is not as marked a tendency to require specialization within the field 
of education, as only 15 indicate unequivocally that this practice is followed, 
while 19 indicate that it is not. 

doctor's degree. 

Number of majors and minors. — The outstanding practice is to require a 
major and two minors for the doctor's degree, as 10 of the 25 institutions giv- 
ing this degree make this the requirement. Other practices followed in three 
of four institutions each are: One major and one minor; one major and. one 
or two minors ; one major only. 

Departments from ichich majors and minors are accepted.^ — In those institu- 
tions in which education is organized by departments, the following departments 
are named as those in which majors are more commonly accepted : Educa- 
tional psychology, administration, secondary education, elementary education, 
rural education, and history of education. The following are among the de- 
partments which come in for occasional mention: Philosophy of education, 
health education, primary education, kindergarten education, educational so- 
ciology, vocational education, religious education, etc. The facts as to depart- 
ments from which minors are accepted are nowise different from those just 
presented for majors. 

Restrictions as to distribution of majors and minors. — Of the group of 25 
institutions, 7 granting the doctor's degree in education state that there are no 
restrictions as to the distribution of majors and minors. Typical statements of 
those who place restrictions are : " Must take one-half or two-thirds of work 
in philosophy, psychology, and social lines " ; " major and one minor must be 
in related fields " ; " the distribution of the minors is at the discretion of the 
education faculty " ; " one minor must be outside the main field, one may be 
inside." Most of the restrictions are in the direction of making for the unity 
of the fields covered by the student during his graduate training. 

Specialization loithin the field of education. — Of the group of 25 institutions, 
17 granting the doctor's degree in education report that specialization within 
the field of education is encouraged. Two additional institutions say that 
specialization is restricted to the research of the student. Two reply that 
specialization is not encouraged. Eleven of the reports indicate that specializa- 
tion is required; six, that it is not required, the remainder making no answer. 

As a whole, specialization is more frequently favored both by practice and 
opinion for the doctor's degree than for the master's. 



12 



STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 



AMOUNT OF WORK THAT MAY BE CARRIED. 

The maximum amount of credit that may he earned in any one semester or 
quarter. — ^The maximum amount of credit in number of credit hours which may 
be earned in any quarter or semester by graduate students ranges from 12 
to 20. The more common practices followed by 9 and 8 Institutions, respec- 
tively, are 12 and 18 hours. Occasionally an institution allows a student to 
carry as much as 19 or 20 hours, but it is more common to find the practice 
less than 18 hours. The value of these figures in the determination of the 
trend of practice is to some extent discounted by the fact that some institu- 
tions make the thesis a requirement over and above the maximum of course 
work, the number of these cases not being exactly determinable from the 
answers given. In most instances, however, the work on the thesis is in- 
cluded as a part of the number of hours the student is permitted to carry. 

Unfortunately, also, the question of the amount of work that may be car- 
ried by students during summer sessions was not raised. This question de- 
serves some consideration in any attempt to standardize graduate work. As 
those acquainted with practices in summer schools are aware, the amount of 
work that may be carried by students in attendance upon them often exceeds 
that which may be carried during the sessions of the regular academic year. 

V. ADMINISTRATION OF COURSES IN EDUCATION. 

NUMBERS OF COURSES OF THE DIFFERENT GRADES. 

Number of strictly graduate courses. — The numbers of strictly graduate 
courses reported by these schools and departments of education are shown in 
Table 10. For those making usable responses, these numbers may be seen to 
range from none — the most common practice — to 20, with a scattered distribu- 
tion of responses between these extremes. When these numbers are tabulated 
for the 25 schools granting the doctor's degree, the range may be seen to be 
just as wide, but with fewer distributed to the smaller numbers. Those schools 
having the smaller numbers are appropriately those which limit themselves to 
granting the master's degree. However, it may be said that there are a num- 
ber of schools undertaking to grant the doctor's degree which have a meager 
offering of strictly graduate courses. 





Table 10. — Number of strictly graduate 


courses < 


offered. 




Number of courses. 


Number 

of institu- 
tions 

(oftbe 
total 

of 42). 


Number 
of institu- 
tions 
granting 
master's 
degree 
only. 


Number 
of institu- 
tions 
granting 

both 
master's 

and 
doctor's 
degrees. 





8 
4 
3 
1 
2 
3 
2 
1 
. 4 
1 
1 
2 
1 
9 


7 
3 
2 
1 
1 
1 


1 


1 


1 


2 


1 


3 




4 


1 


5 


2 


6 


2 


7 




1 


8 




4 







X 


14 




1 


15 




2 


20 




1 


No 


answer or answer not usable 


2 


7 




Total niiTTibp.r of in.<?t,it.iil inns. . , , 






42 


17 


25 









STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 



13 



The number of courses open to both graduates and undergraduates is shown 
in Table 11. For purposes of comparison of the institutions granting both de- 
grees and those granting only the master's degree, the numbers of courses have 
been separately tabulated. 

It was found that in 8 schools no courses are open to undergraduates only. 
The conclusion that may be drawn is that there is no undergraduate course in 
these institutions to which graduate students are not admitted for credit. 

The numbers of both (1) strictly graduate and (2) graduate and under- 
graduate courses is presented in Table 12, with the same effort at distinction 
between the institutions granting both the degrees and those granting the 
master's degree only. 

The distinctions between strictly graduate and strictly undergraduate 
courses. — ^As 8 institutions of the entire group of 42 report that they have no 
strictly graduate courses, these made no response to the question concerning 
such distinctions. Three additional institutions report that no distinctions are 
made between these two grades of courses, while five more fail to answer or 
make answers not pertinent. The trend of distinction in the 24 institutions whose 
representatives specify one or more distinctions may be characterized by 
quotation : " More research in graduate courses " ; " more seminar work " ; "a 
more critical type of work"; "more largely independent work and individual 
instruction " ; " more outside reading " ; " the difficulty and scope of material 
and degree of advancement " ; etc. The more common distinctions are the first 
two named. 

Table 11, — Number of courses offered which are open to both graduates and 

undergraduates. 



Number of courses. 



Number of 

institutions 

granting 

master's 

degree 

only. 



Number of 

Institutions 

granting 

both 
master's 

and 
doctor's 
deij-ees. 



8.. 
9.. 
10. 
11. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
17. 
19. 
20. 
32. 
35. 
40. 
46. 
85. 
93. 



No answer or answer not usable . 



Totalnumber of institutions. 



17 



25 



14 



STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 



Table 12. — Total num'ber of strictly graduate courses and courses open to both 
graduates and undergraduates {i. e., the total offering to graduate students). 



Number of courses. 


Number of 

institutions 

granting 

master's 

degree 

only. 


Number of 

institutions 

granting 

both 
master's 

and 
doctor's 
degrees. 


3 


1 
1 
2 
2 
1 
1 
1 




4 




6 






9 




10 




11 






12 




14 






15 


2 
1 




18 




19 




20 






23 


. 1 




32 




40 






46 






55 






60 






No answer or answer not usable 


4 


9 






Total number of institutions 


17 




?5 







Distinctions in courses open to both graduate and undergraduate students. — 
Tlie distinctions in requirements between tlie two groups of students in courses 
which are open to both graduates and undergraduates are, in the order of 
frequency of mention, as follows : Additional work required of graduates (9 
institutions) ; more research (7) ; more reports (6) ; higher quality expected 
(6) ; greater amount of written work (5) ; wider reading (4). The reports 
from some institutions give as many as two or three of these distinctions. The 
answers from 11 institutions indicate that no distinctions are made in these 
courses between graduate and undergraduate students. 

The proportion of courses open to both graduates and undergraduates that 
may be taken by candidates for the master's degree. — Practically half the re- 
ports from the institutions indicate that no restrictions are placed upon the 
proportion of courses open to both graduates and undergraduates which a can- 
didate may offer for the master's degree. If to these are added the 8 institu- 
tions giving no strictly graduate courses in education, we have almost three- 
fourths of the entire group of 42 institutions not insisting upon any strictly 
graduate courses. Ten institutions have such restrictions. Five of these report 
that one-half of the student's work must be in strictly graduate courses; two, 
all of the work ; and three others specify certain strictly graduate courses in the 
requirement for the degree. 

The proposition of courses open to both graduate and undergraduate students 
lohich may be taken by the candidate for the doctor's decree. — Of the 25 institu- 
tions granting the doctor's degree, 12 report no such restriction as is referred to 
here. Only 4 of these institutions insist upon a definite amount, 1 of them 
asking for one-third, 1 for one-half, and 2 for all work in strictly graduate 
courses. 

Size of classes to which graduate students are admitted. — A relatively small 
proportion of the institutions place limits on the size of classes to which graduate 
students are admitted. Thirty-four institutions have no such restrictions. Five 
in which there are such restrictions report maximum graduate classes of 8-10, 



STAXDAEDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 15 

8-20, 15, 25, 30. It should be stated, however, that a large proportion having 
no such restrictions point out that in their institutions there is no need for a 
limit, since the number of graduate students is small in any event. 

Nor is there a notable tendency to place limits on the size of such classes in 
Slimmer sessions. Here opinion is more definitely formed, inasmuch as a larger 
proportion than follow such a practice recomniend a limit for classes in educa- 
tion for summer sessions. Among the voluntary statements touching this recom- 
mendation are the following : *' Especially necessary in summer," " a great abuse 
here in some famous summer schools." 

VI. THESIS. 

master's degree. 

The thesis as a requirement. — Almost all schools report the thesis as a re- 
quirement for the master's degree. Three institutions respond as follows : 
"Alternative with the seminary " ; " provided, but may be substituted for " ; and 
" may be excused." In only 3 additional schools is there no requirement of a 
thesis. 

Amount of credit for the master's thesis. — There is a great variety of prac- 
tice in this connection. Five institutions which require a thesis allow no 
credit for it, insisting that it is a task imposed " over and above courses." From 
this practice the amount ranges up to 20 semester hours, with no outstanding 
modal practice. More commonly than otherwise the credit is stated in terms of 
lower and upper limits, as 2-4, 4-8, 4-12. The median amount is a bit under 
five hours. 

Publication of the master's thesis. — Only one institution insists upon the 
publication of the master's thesis. The remaining 38 answering the question 
report that publication is not required. 

The time of completion of the master's thesis. — In every case but one the 
time for the completion of the thesis is indicated as before the examination. 

doctor's thesis. 

• The thesis as a requirement. — It is a universal practice of those institutions 
granting the doctor's degree to require a thesis. 

The amount of credit for the thesis. — From what has been said above con- 
cerning the tendency of institutions not to state requirements for the doctor's 
degree in terms of credit hours, we should be led to anticipate that not many 
institutions specify the amount of credit which is allowed for the doctor's 
thesis. The answers bear out this expectation. Seven of those who report 
state that no credit is allowed, some of them indicating that it is required 
" over and above courses." Five institutions indicate that a year (3), two years 
(1), or one-half of all the time (1) is assigned to the work on the thesis. 

Publication. — Almost all the institutions insist upon the publication of the 
doctor's thesis, only three stating that publication is not required. One indi- 
cates that publication is " urged." The publication is usually in full. 

VII. FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT. 
master's degree. 

The foreign language requirement. — Of the 42 institutions, 36 state that no 
foreign languages are required for the master's degree. Of the 5 institutions 
which report a requirement, 3 insist upon French and German and 2 upon 
French or German. 



16 STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 

In the few Instances where the foreign languages are required for the master's 
degree the ability which the student must show is a " reading knowledge " 
sufficient for research. 

doctor's degree. 

Only 2 institutions granting the doctor's degree in education specify no 
requirements in foreign languages. One requires " two foreign languages " ; 
8, " two modern foreign languages *' ; 17, " French and German " ; and 1, " such 
as are necessary for research." 

Where opinion deviates from practice in the matter of the requirements of 
foreign language Is in the recommendation of several persons answering that 
such languages should be required as are needed for research. The emphasis 
seems with these to be more upon a requirement where a functional relationship 
of the foreign languages to the pursuit of graduate study is demonstrable, 
rather than merely upon the relationship of tradition usually obtaining. 

In almost every case the ability is a "reading knowledge," sometimes qualified 
as " fluent," " ready," etc. 

By whom tested. — In 16 cases where answer is made, the " appropriate " 
department, e. g., French or German, applies the test of ability. But in 6 
instances the test is applied by some one in the department of education. 

When the ca/ndidate must show the aHlity. — In 19 cases of schools granting 
the doctor's degree, the ability in the. foreign languages must be shown a year 
or approximately a year before coming up for the degree or coming up for the 
fijial examination. 

VIII. EXAMINATIONS. 

master's de«kee. 

Final examination. — Almost three-fourths of the institutions granting the 
master's degree insist upon a final examination. The remainder hold no such 
final examination. 

Character of the examination. — Of these institutions in which a final exami- 
nation for the master's degree is required, 16 make it oral; 1, written; 6, both' 
oral and written ; 3, either ; 2, either or both ; and 1, oral or both. 

For the most part these examinations concern themselves with both the 
courses and the thesis. In a few instances the examination is solely upon 
courses. 

Preliminary examination. — In only 3 instances is the preliminary examina- 
tion required for the master's degree. 

doc5tor's degree. 

Pi/nal examination. — All institutions granting the doctor's degree require a 
final examination. 

Character of the examvination. — In 11 institutions, the final examination is 
oral ; in 1, written ; in 7, both oral and written ; in 1, either ; in 2, either or both ; 
in 2, oral or both. 

The examination in most of these schools covers all work in courses and the 
thesis. In a few instances the thesis is not emphasized. 

PreUmdnary examination. — Thirteen institutions require a preliminary exami- 
nation for the doctor's degree; 10 do not. 

Form of the examination. — The practice varies widely as to whether the ex- 
amination is written, oral, both, etc. 



STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 



17 



When the preliminai'y examination is given. — More commonly the preliminary 
examination is given a year before the final examination or the conferring of 
the degree. 

IX. THE STAFF. 



NUMBER AND TRAINING. 

The number and training of the staff in the institutions from which our 
responses have come are shown in Table 13. A study of its columns shows 
that very few of the institutions granting the master's degree only have more 
than 5-9 instructors, while a large proportion have 4 or less. The institutions 
granting the doctor's degree tend to have a larger number of instructors. 
However, there are four institutions in this group that have four or less than 
four instructors. 

Table 13. — Number of instructors in education. 



Number of instruc- 
tors. 



0-4 

5-9 

10-14 

23 

61 

Total 



Total of those an- 
swering. 



Number 
of schools. 



11 

16 

6 

1 

1 



35 



Per cent. 



31.5 

43.8 

15.2 

2.9 

2.9 



100.3 



Granting master's 
degree only. 



Number 
of schools. 



15 



Per cent. 



46.7 
40.0 
13.3 



100.0 



Granting both mas- 
ter's and doctor's 
degrees. 



Number 
of schools. 



19 



Per cent. 



21.0 

47.4 

21.0 

5.8 

5.3 



100.0 



DEGREES HELD BY THE INSTRUCTORS. 

The facts concerning the degrees held by those giving instruction to graduate 
students in these institutions are shown in Tables 14 and 15. The former of 
these tables aims to show the distribution of institutions by the proportion of 
instructors holding the doctor's degree. A comparison of the facts as to the 
proportions of instructors with doctor's degrees in institutions granting the 
master's degrees only with the proportions for those institutions granting the 
doctor's shows that a much larger proportion of the latter have such training. 

Table 15 sets forth the situation for proportions of instructors with one or 
the other of the two graduate degrees. 

Table 14. — Percentages of instructors with doctor's degrees. 



Per cent of instruc- 
tors with doctor's 
degrees. 


All institutions 
supplying data. 


Institutions grant- 
ing master's de- 
gree only. 


Institutions grantr 
ing both mas- 
ter's and doc- 
tor's degrees. 


Number 
of Insti- 
tutions. 


Per cent. 


Number 
ol insti- 
tutions. 


Per cent. 


Number 
•f insti- 
tutions. 


Per cent. 


0.0-19.9 


1 
7 
10 
11 
4 
1 


2.9 
20.6 
29.4 
32.3 
11.8 

2.9 


1 
5 
7 








20.0-39.9 


35.7 
50.0 


2 

8 
6 
3 

1 


10.0 
40.0 
30.0 
15.0 
5.0 


40.0-59.9 


60.0-79.9 


80 0-99.9 


1 


7.1 


100 


Total 






34 


99.9 


14 


99.9 


20 


100.0 





18 STANDARDS IN GRADUATE WORK IN EDUCATION. 

Table 15. — Percentages of instructors with master's or doctor's degrees. 



Per cent of instruc- 
tors with master's 
or doctor's degrees. 


All Institutions 
supplying data. 


Institutions grant- 
ing master's de- 
gree only. 


Institutions grant- 
ing both mas- 
ter's and doctor's 
degrees. 


Number 
of insti- 
tutions. 


Per cent. 


Number 
of insti- 
tutions. 


Per cent. 


Number 
of insti- 
tutions. 


Per cent. 


20.0-39.9 


2 

1 

6 

13 

12 


5.9 

2.9 

17.6 

38.2 

35.3 


2 


14.3 






40.0-59.9 


1 
4 
9 
6 


5.0 
20.0 
45.0 
30.0 


60.0-79.9 


2 
4 
6 


14.3 
28.6 
42.8 


80.0-99.9 


100.0 


Total 


34 


99.9 


14 


100.0 


20 


100.0 





THE TEIAOHING SOHEDULiB. 

An item of practice in departments of education that has considerable bear- 
ing upon the feasibility of caring for graduate work in any effective manner is 
the size of the teaching load of instructors who give the graduate training. 
Table 16 presents the maximum and the usual weekly teaching schedules in the 
institutions from which the replies have come, as well as the maximum teaching 
schedule regarded as appropriate for such instructors by those who responded 
to the questionnaire. In a large proportion of schools — 53.5 per cent to be 
exact — the maximum teaching schedule of those who give graduate instruction 
is in excess of 12 hours, in a few instances running as high as 18 hours. The 
•' usual " schedule tends to be smaller, but in almost a fifth of all the schools 
reporting it exceeds 12 hours. Opinion in only a single instance favors a maxi- 
mum load of more than 12 hours. 

Table 16. — The weekly teaching schedules of those giving graduate instruction. 



Number of hours. 


Maximum. 


Usual. 


Appropriate maxi-" 
mum.i 


Number 
of insti- 
tutions. 


Per cent. 


Number 
of insti- 
tutions. 


Per cent. 


Number 
of insti- 
tutions. 


Per cent. 


7-8 






10 
8 
7 
2 
4 


32.3 
25.8 
22.6 
6.5 
12.9 


8 
5 

7 


38.1 
23.8 
33.3 


9-10 


6 
7 
4 
9 
2 


21.4 
25.0 
14.3 
32.1 
7.1 


11-12 


13-14 


15-16 


1 


4.8 


17-18 


Total 










28 


99.9 


31 


100.1 


21 


100.0 





^ Mostly at the even numbers, 8, 10, and 12. 



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